


Day 023

by Josh_the_Bard



Series: A Year in Kirkwall [23]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age II
Genre: Body Horror
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-23
Updated: 2020-01-23
Packaged: 2021-02-27 11:00:19
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 789
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22376095
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Josh_the_Bard/pseuds/Josh_the_Bard
Summary: This one has some body horror in it so be advised.
Series: A Year in Kirkwall [23]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1589257
Kudos: 1





	Day 023

**Author's Note:**

> This one has some body horror in it so be advised.

Janice’s dreams were far darker tonight then they had been in a while. Tonight she was in the gallows chained like one of those big statues. Despite the sun being visible in the sky the only light came from vials of lyrum carried by the templars. But of course they weren't templars, they were demons here to pray on her fear. Anders had taught her how to recognize and avoid demons almost as soon as she had come into her magic two years ago. Unlike the Circle, Anders didn’t make his apprentices fight demons in the fade, but he was certainly not going to leave her unprepared.

She focused on the meditative techniques she used to control her emotions. The best way to avoid possession was to be unappealing to demons. The fear demons wandered closer and Janice focussed on breathing and started counting the tiles in the courtyard floor.

She felt the presence of one of the templar-demons approaching her and her breathing started coming faster. Janice tried and failed to slow it.

“I see you mage,” the voice was Meredith’s. “You can no longer hide in the shadow of the Warden.”

Janice looked up despite herself. Meredith stood before her in full gleaming armor and holding the brand of tranquility. Anders always spoke of tranquility as a fate worse than death, a half life of emptiness. 

“Did you really think you could hide forever, in Kirkwall of all places?” Meredith laughed at her. “Don’t be foolish girl. But I am not without mercy. I offer you a deal. You can have the brand and be no more danger to those around you, or you can accept my power. The power to defend yourself or to escape the reach of the templars.”

“I deny both!” Janice screamed. “Begone demon you will not find a host here.” 

The Meredith-demon laughed. Two other templar-demons grabbed her chains and forced her to her knees. Janice tried to escape their grip but lacked the strength, she tried to wake up and escape the fade but failed there too. Meredith summoned a brazer and thrust the brand into the flames.

“It is never too late to change your mind,” she said. “Never too late to escape what you fear most.” 

“Please don’t make me tranquil,” Janice begged. “Kill me if you must.”

“Don’t worry child,” Meredith said pulling the brand from the flames. “One way or another I will free you from this fear.”

Janice felt the hot brand press into her forehead, the white hot pain seared into her soul, separating it from her body.

“Don’t do this, I’ll do anything!” she cried out. The Meredith-demon said nothing, it just pressed the brand harder. Janice could feel the last few strands of her soul being torn from her body. “I accept your offer just let me keep my mind!”

Janice lacked the understanding to describe what happened next. There was pain, but in comparison to the brand it was a sweet relief. Her eyes opened and she watched her flesh twisting and morphing to suit her new guest. Her fingernails elongated and she could feel her tailbone ripping itself through her skin growing into a long a twisting tail. Her teeth fell out, replaced by new, sharper ones. Her arms and legs extended leaving her muscles stretched or ripped. And organs the demon didn’t think it needed were vomited our onto her chest. She was sat up and raised to standing. There was a shriek from her mouth and the other of Anders’s apprentices woke beside her adding his screams to hers.

His scream ended abruptly as her hand ripped the throat from his body. The door flew open and Anders was there, no it was Justice she saw.

“Demon!,” he shouted. “You will feel Justice’s burn!”

A vortex of energy opened at Janice’s feet and she was suddenly underneath Justice. Her clawed hands ripping and treating at any piece of exposed flesh they could. Justice was launched into the air by the force of the attack and his staff flew out of his reach. The veil was thin here and something tore it open enough to let two let two demons of fear through. A rage demon sneaked in as well but that was no bother to Janice- no it was horrible.the worst fate for a mage was possession and she had accepted it willingly. Anders would die because of her weakness.

Rather than face Justice, Janice’s body slipped into the main space of the clinic. There she saw two elves. One was large for an elf, the other so small it could only be a child. Both were screaming.

“Your fear is delicious,” Janice’s mouth said. “Feed me more!”


End file.
